Unit 40 Board Says No Building Project if Sales Tax Referendum Fails

(SECOND GRADERS ANNABELLE ETHRIDGE, J.P. TYLKA, AND KENZIE CONRADY LED MONDAY NIGHT'S SCHOOL BOARD TOUR OF SOUTH SIDE SCHOOL)

Effingham Unit 40 school board members Monday informally agreed that a building construction project will not proceed if the November sales tax referendum does not pass. The question was not on the agenda for a vote, but a straw poll indicated no support for the project unless the sales tax revenue is available.

The Board in August agreed to move ahead with Phase One of a facilities plan. That would involve construction of a Grades K-2 building, along with improvements to the parking lot at Effingham High School and parking improvements at Central Grade School. 

How to finance the project was the subject at Monday night's meeting. There was also discussion of how much of the project would be funded by sales tax revenue and what might be done to abate property taxes if the sales tax referendum passes.

The Board also approved a master agreement with Holland Construction for construction management srvices. Unit 40 Superintendent Andy Johnson, though, said there will be no expenditure for Holland Construction unless the sales tax referendum passes.

Also Monday, the school board heard that enrollment in the district increased from a year ago, from 2,288 then to 2,313 now. Johnson thinks it might be the first time for a year-to-year increase in his time as Unit 40 superintendent.

The Board named local businessman Dan Patton to the Unit 40 Foundation Board; approved the tentative budget for the fiscal year; and enjoyed a tour of the South Side School building where Monday's meeting took place. South Side second graders Kenzie Conrady, J.P. Tylka and Annabelle Ethridge led the tour.